Work by Texas-based photographer Andy Sharp

Lakefest in Granger, Texas

If you travel just a few miles east, you’ll find yourself at Granger Lake, but the town of Granger, Texas, with just over 1400 residents, is not right next to that body of water. Nevertheless, the town’s annual festival is called Lakefest. This year’s event was number 39 for this Central Texas town about 45 miles northeast of Austin. The festival included a parade, vendors, music, a barbecue cook-off. Back by popular demand this year was a kolache bake-off. The kolache is a Czech-inspired confection. Being a fellow from Northeast Texas, where doughnuts rule, I don’t know much about them, but they’re popular around here. Actress Sissy Spacek’s grandparents are from Granger. As a kid growing up in Texas, she spent copious amounts of time here. A few years ago, Granger doubled as Fort Smith, Arkansas for the remake of “True Grit.” If you take away the cars, trucks and power lines, you could actually imagine yourself back in the late-1800s. In particular, I like West Davilla Street, still paved with bricks, just like where I grew up. The little girl was glad mom was nearby when that gigantic truck in the parade blew its very loud horn. This is Texas, of course, but Granger could be anywhere in small-town America. These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.

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2 thoughts on “Lakefest in Granger, Texas”

Great photos of Small Town, Texas – and another one of our many festivals. I remember when we had brick roads in downtown areas of Houston. Yes, I am that old, shock shock. We still have some brick roads in Longview and Gladewater. My little grandmother thought she had really learned how to make a kolache in the 1960’s. A can of Crescent Rolls with a Little Smokie in the center of each one. LOL Those may have been a fail, however, you should have tasted her fruit filled fried pies. Thanks for sharing a little bit of Granger with us.

Fried pies and doughnuts, those are my memories of growing up in Northeast Texas! Kolaches, like scones, are an acquired taste! Thanks for sharing your memories, Shirley. I suspect that when it comes to age, we are contemporaries.